Bellows valves



H. J. REINIG BELLOWS VALVES Nov. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 51,1952 Nov. 6, 195 6 H. J. REINIG 2,769,608

BELLOWS VALVES Filed July 31-, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

Y A ORNEXS Patented Nov. 5, 1956 BELLOWS VALVES Henry J. Reinig,Bergenfield, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Singmaster &Breyer, Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July31, 1953, Serial No. 371,480 Claims. (Cl. 251-31) The present inventionrelates to valves, and it is the general object of the present inventionto provide a valve having a passage through which the controlled orregulated fluid flows and which is completely sealed or isolatedrelative to the exterior of the valve as well as the valve actuatingmechanism so that leaking of the controlled fluid to the outside of thevalve and contamination of the controlled fluid from the outside of thevalve or from substances on the valve actuating mechanism may beeffectively prevented.

Heretofore, most valves included a valve housing through which the fluidto be controlled passed and a valve member movable in the housing tomore or less obstruct the fluid flow through the valve housing, with avalve stem or actuating rod extending from the valve member through awall of the valve housing either slidably or rotatably to somemanipulating mechanism at the exterior of the valve housing. Such valvesrequire a packing or sealing gland around the slidable or rotatablevalve stem at the location where the latter passes through the wall ofthe valve housing in order to prevent leaking of the controlled fluidout of the valve housing around the valve stem. However, such packingsor sealing glands are effective, if at all, for only limited operationalperiods and must be replaced from time to time. The use of packings orsealing glands around the valve stem .or actuating rod also tends tocomplicate the valve structure and thereby increases the initial .cost.aswell .as the maintenance costs. Further, the fluid being handled bythe valve, for example, in a chemical plant and the like, may be of akind which chemically attacks the materials normally employed for thepackings or sealing glands, and in that event expensive substitutematerials must be developed.

Recognizing the above difliculties, special valves of the gate type havebeen developed wherein .a flexible bellows is substituted "for theconventional packing or sealing gland around the actuating rod at thelocation where the latter passes through the wall of the valve housing.However, such a bellows, by reason of its relatively small diameter andconsequent limited extensibility for each fold thereof, must have agreat length to permit the longitudinal movement of :the actuating rodthrough the full range required for opening and closing of the valve:gate. Thus, such a special .gate valve is undesirably bulky and must:be installed in a particular position for proper operation. Still othervalves have been proposed in an .efiort to avoid the .necessity forpackings or sealing glands and such valves have the valve actuatingmechanism installed within the valve housing. These last mentionedvalves are subject to the objection that lubricant, or other foreignsubstances, on the valve actuating mechanism may contaminate thecontrolled fluid flowing therearonnd and are therefore not suitable foruse infood-processingplants and the like :where the purity of thecontrolled fluid must he maintained.

Accordingly, it is a specific object of the present invention to providea valve wherein the valve member is movable toward and away from a valveseat within the valve housing and is controlled from the exterior of thevalve housing through a force transmitting structure which neitherslides nor rotates relative to the valve housing and thereby eliminatesany need for a packing or sealing gland at the location Where the forcetransmitting structure extends through the valve housing.

Another object is to provide a valve of the described character wher inthe fluid flow through the valve is substantially stream-lined ornon-turbulent to thereby minimize the pressure drop across the valve.

further object is to provide a valve of the described character whereinthe external dimensions thereof are held as closely as possible to thediameter of the pipe or conduit through which the controlled fluidflows.

In accordance with the present invention a fluid control valve isprovided with a valve housing having an inlet and an outlet and aflexible bellows interposed between the inlet and outlet and defining apassage therebetween for the controlled fluid. A valve member is movablelongitudinally within the bellows toward and away from a valve seatadjacent the inlet of the housing and is supported by positioning meanslocated exteriorly of the bellows. The positioning means has anextension which extends to the movable valve member through and insealed relation .to the walls of .the bellows. One aspect of theinvention provides a mechanical system disposed wholly outside of thebellows for effecting the valve controlling movements of :the supportingpositioning means, while another aspect .of .the invention employs anexternally disposed, pressure-fluid operated system for producing suchvalve controlling movements. in either case, the bellows flexes inresponse to the movements of the valve supporting positioning means topermit movement of the valve member toward and away from its seat whilepreserving the fluid-tight character of the valve housing.

Valves constructed according to the present invention have a number ofimportant advantages which make them suitable for uses for which knownvalves are not satisfactory. Among such uses is the control of streamsof radio-active materials at high temperature and pressures, withoutdanger of leakage or of malfunctioning due to differential expansions ofmoving parts, and with no need for lubrication or inspections of theinternal valve elements.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent in the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments thereof which are presented merely by way ofexample and are shown in the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and .in section ofa valve embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional vi w taken along the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a side :elevational .view, partly broken away and in section,of a valve constructed according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional line 4-4.0f Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the valve inFigs. 3 and 4 taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, but on an enlargedscale and with an hydraulic control system shown diagrammatically.

Referring to the drawings .in detail, and initially to Figs. 1-. and 2thereof, .a fluid control valve embodying the present invention is thereillustrated and generally identified by the reference numeral 10. Thevalve ll) includes a housing, generally identified by the referencenumeral 1 1, which is preferably formed by a cylindrical inlet section12 having radial flanges 13 and 14 at its opposite ends, a cylindricaloutlet section '15 having radial flanges view taken along the 16 and 17at its opposite ends, and an intermediate sec- 7 tion interposed betweenthe inlet and outlet sections and made up of flange rings 18 and 19 andcylindrical bellows 20 and 21 hereinafter referred to in detail.

The flange rings 18 and 19 are bolted, or otherwise secured, to flanges14 and 17 of the inlet and outlet sections, respectively, as at 22, andthe flange rings are rigidly connected together by a series of axiallyextending tie-bolts 23 which, in the illustrated embodiment, arethreadably engaged at their opposite ends in suitably tapped openings inflange rings 18 and 19.

Preferably, flange rings 18 and 19 and bellows 2t and 21 have innerdiameters greater than the inner diameters of the inlet and outletsections 12 and 15, while the latter are substantially the same size asthe pipe or conduit sections (not shown) to which they may be connectedby the flanges 13 and 16 and through which the fluid to be controlledflows.

. A valve member 24 is disposed within the space defined by flexiblebellows 20 and 21 and is movable longitudinally toward and away from avalve seat 25 formed at the inner edge of flange 18 of the inletsection. The valve member 24 has a maximum diameter substantiallysmaller than the inner diameter of the bellows so that an annular flowpassage 26 is defined therebetween to carry the fluid that passesbetween seat 25 ,and valve member 24 from the inlet section to theoutlet section of the valve housing. A streamlined support 27 carriesthe valve member and has legs 28 radiating-therefrom which are integral,at their outer ends, with a valve actuating ring 29 having an innerdiameter substantially the same as that of the bellows 29 and 21. Theouter edge or periphery of valve actuating ring 29 is axially enlargedto form a rim 30 having axially extending bored bosses through which thetie-bolts 23 slidably extend. The opposite ends of flexible bellows 2dare secured, for example, by welding, to flange ring 18 and actuatingring 29, while the opposite ends of flexible bellows 21 are similarlysecured to the valve actuating ring and flange ring 19. Thus, the valvemember 24 is slidably supported from the tie-bolts 23, while the bellows2t) and 21 preserve the fluid-tight character of the fluid flow passage26 during movement of the valve member toward and away from valve seat25. V

In order to effect the movements of valve member 24 toward and away fromvalve seat 25, the valve illustrated in Figs, 1 and 2 includes a thread31 on the external surface of rim 3t? and a ring gear 32 which isrotatable about the rim 30 and is formed with an internal thread 33meshing with thread 31 on the rim. The ring gear 32 is held againstaxial movement, for example, in an inwardly opening circular channelmember 34 which is supmanual actuation of the valve. Of course, his tobe 7 understood that the valve 10 may be operated by other than manualactuation, for example, a reversible electric motor. (not shown) may becoupled to the shaft 40 for causing the desired rotation of the latter.Further, while the outer surfaces of bellows and 21 are exposed, it isto be understood that the spaces between legs 35 supporting channelmember 34 may be filled in or closed to define an outer housing (notshown) surrounding the flexible bellows between flange rings 18 and 19.1 7

Although the valve operated manually as described above in connectionwith Figs. 1 and 2 is generally suitable for the control of fluid flowthrough pipes up to the nominal size of ten inches, the control of fluidflow through larger pipes or conduits may require an alternativearrangement for moving the valve member relative to the valve seat.Referring in detail to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, anotherembodiment of the present invention is there illustrated and generallyidentified by the reference numeral 10a. Valve 10a is generally similarto valve 10 of Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception of the means employedfor effecting opening and closing of the valve, and includes an inletsection 12a and an outletsection 15a respectively secured to flangerings 13a and 19a, with flexible bellows 20a and 21a extending between avalve actuating ring 29a and flange tively, to define a flow passageoutlet sections. a

Legs 28a extend radially inward from 260 between the inlet and theactuating ring 29a and at their inner ends support a streamlined carrier27 1 having a valve member 24a mounted on its forward end for movementwith the actuating ring and a carrier toward and away from-a valve seat250 on inlet ported by legs 35 spanning the space between, and secured vto, flange rings 18 and 19, and a worm gear 36 is formed on the outersurface of ring gear 32.. A worm 37 is supported for rotation about anaxis which is parallel to a tangent to the ring gear 32 and meshes withworm gear 36' on the latter so that rotation of the worm 37 eflectsrotation of ring gear 32, while the meshing threads 31 and 33 of rim 30and ring gear 32, respectively, produce axial displacement of thenon-rotatable actuating ring 29 in response to the rotation of the ringgear 32. It is apparent that such axial displacement of actuating ring29 causes expansion of one, and contraction of the other, of theflexible bellows 20 and 21, and moves valve member 24 I either toward oraway from valve seat 25 depending upon the direction of rotation of worm37, and consequently of ring gear 32. V

As seen in Fig.v 2, channel member :34 is preferably formed in twoseparable parts 34a and 341: which are removably bolted together attheir ends, as at 38, for ease of assembly, and at one end parts 34a and34b are enlarged to define a housing 39 for worm 37 with the latterbeing journalled at its opposite ends in that housing. A shaft 40extends from the upper end of worm 37 out of housing 39 and is providedwith a hand-wheel 41 for section 12a. Valve actuating ring 29a is formedwith 'bored bosses 42'which slidably receive tie-bolts or rods 23aextending between flange rings 18a and 19a so that such tie-bolts serveto prevent rotation of the actuating ring and to guide the axialmovements of the latter;

Axial movement of actuating ring 29a is effected by sev-" eral fluidpressure operatedcylinder assemblies, each generally identified bythereference numeral 43. and including a piston rod 44 fixedly secured atits opposite ends to flange rings 18a and 19a andhaving a piston 45thereon (Fig. 5), and a cylinder 46. Cylinder 46 slidably receivespiston 45 of the related assembly and passes through a suitable openingin the peripheral porti'on'of actuating ring 29a, with a flange 47 beingformed on the cylinder intermediate the ends of the latter and secured,as by bolts 48, to ring 29a. Suitable heads 49 and 50 (Fig. 5) close theopposite ends of cylinder 46 and include conventional sealing glandsthrough which piston rod 44 slidably extends.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that each cylinder 46, and with itactuating ring 29a, will be displaced axially relative to the relatedpiston rod 44 when a pressure fluid, whether hydraulic or pneumatic, isadmitted to one end or the other of the cylinder to act against a faceof piston 45. Thus, by controlling the flow of a pressure fluid totheseveral cylinders 46, the valve member 24a can be displaced axiallyto control the flow of fluid through the passage 26a.

In Fig. 5, a suitable system for controlling the supply. shownschematically and merely by way of example; This system 7 of pressurefluid to one of the cylinders 46 is includes a source 51, which may bein the form of a storage tank for an hydraulic fluid, and a supply pipeor line 52 leading from. source 51 to a selector valve 53 and having apump 54 and a check-valve 55 interposed therein. a

rings 13aand 19a, respecsupply passage 60 which, in the illustratedposition of the valve core, communicates supply line 52 with supply line56, and, in a position turned 90 from that illustrated in Fig. 5, placesthe supply line 52 in communication with the supply line 57. The core ofvalve 53 also is formed with a return passage 61 which, in theillustrated position of the selector valve, places the line 57 withbranch 58b of the return line 58, and, in a position turned 90 from thatillustrated in the drawings, places the line 56 in communication withbranch 58a of the return line. Thus, by manipulating the core ofselector valve 53, pressure fluid can be supplied to one or the other ofthe ends of cylinder 46 while the end of the cylinder then cut-ofl fromthe supply is placed in communication with the return line to the source51 to permit movement of the cylinder relative to piston 45. It isapparent that the cylinder 46 may be fixed axially on the piston rod 44to maintain valve member 24:: in a desired position relative to thevalve seat merely by rotationally adjusting the core of selector valve53 to a position in which the lines 56 and 57 are cut-off fromcommunication with either the supply line 52 or the return line 58.Thus, the position of valve member 24a will not be aflected by thepressure of the fluid controlled by valve a.

It is to be noted that the first described valve 10 is similarlyinsensitive to the pressure of the controlled fluid since worm 37, wormgear 36 and meshing gears 31 and 33 provide an irreversible drive forthe valve actuating ring 29, that is, a drive in which a rotationalforce applied to worm 37 results in axial movement of ring 29 and valvemember 24, but an axial force applied against the valve member 24 cannotproduce rotation of Worm 37, and the valve member will thereforemaintain its set position without constant supervision.

Further, it will be noted that the flexible bellows of valves 1% and 10adefine a fluid-tight passage 26 or 26a between the inlets and outlets ofthe respective valves, and that the absence of any valve actuatingmembers extending either slidably or rotationally through the valvehousing wall of each of these valves eliminates any need for packings orsealing glands to prevent leaking of the controlled fluid around suchactuating members, as in conventional valves. Therefore, valvesembodying the present invention are particularly suitable for use inchemical apparatus and the like wherein the materials handled may behazardous or extraordinarily diflicult to handle, or where they maydestroy the conventional packings, or where the need for a gas-tightvalve is particularly acute. The flexible bellows of the describedvalves also serve to separate the flow passages for the controlled fluidfrom the valve actuating mechanisms thereby avoiding any possibilitythat foreign matter, such as a lubricant or hydraulic actuating fluid,may contaminate the controlled fluid. This characteristic of the valveswill be particularly important in connection with their use in foodprocessing plants or apparatus. Finally, the valves described hereinprovide flow passages for the controlled fluid which avoid any sharp orsudden changes in direction or cross-sectional area so that the pressuredrop across such valves is substantially minimized and the valves may beemployed in installations where a small pressure drop is particularlydesirable.

While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been describedin detail and shown in the accompanying drawings merely by way ofexample, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothese precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications maybe eflected therein without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

l. A fluid control valve comprising rigid end sections spaced apart andforming valve ports, fluid tight flexible bellows sealed at oppositeends thereof to said end sections and forming a tubular valve body forconducting the controlled fluid between said ports, a fixed valve memberon one of said end sections, a complementary movable valve member Withinsaid bellows, and positioning means located exteriorly of said bellowsand having an extension extending to said movable member through and insealed relation to walls of said bellows, said mov able valve memberbeing supported by said positioning means and being movable thereby toand from said fixed valve member to close and open the valve, saidbellows being displaced with movements of said positioning means butkeeping said valve body completely sealed at all times.

2. A fluid control valve comprising rigid end sections spaced apart andforming valve ports, fluid tight flexible bellows sealed at oppositeends thereof to said end sections and forming a completely imperforatetubular valve body for conducting the controlled fluid between saidports, a fixed annular valve seat on one of said end sections, acomplementary movable valve member within and spaced inwardly from saidbellows, positioning means located exteriorly of said bellows and havingan extension extending to said movable member through and in sealedrelation to walls of said bellows, and a fluid passageway extendingthrough said positioning means extension between said movable valvemember and said bellows, said movable valve member being supported bysaid positioning means and being movable thereby to and from said valveseat to close and open the valve, said bellows being displaced withmovements of said positioning means but keeping said valve bodycompletely sealed at all times.

3. A fluid control valve comprising rigid end sections spaced apart andforming valve ports, fluid tight flexible bellows sealed at oppositeends thereof to said end sections and forming a completely imperforatetubular valve body for conducting the controlled fluid between saidports, a fixed annular valve seat on one of said end sections, acomplementary movable valve member within and spaced inwardly from saidbellows, positioning means located exteriorly of said bellows and havingan extension extending to said movable member through and in sealedrelation to walls of said bellows, and a fluid passageway extendingthrough said positioning means extension between said movable valvemember and said bellows, said movable valve member being supported bysaid positioning means and being movable thereby to and from said valveseat to close and open the valve, said bellows being displaced withmovements of said positioning means but keeping said valve bodycompletely sealed at all times, the port of said one end sectioncomprising inner and outer tubular portions of different internaldiameters, said valve seat being on said outer portion and said innerportion being of the larger diameter to provide an enlarged passage forthe fluid flow between itself and said movable valve member.

4. A fluid control valve comprising rigid end sections spaced apart andforming valve ports, fluid tight flexible bellows sealed at oppositeends thereof to said end sections and forming a tubular valve body forconducting the controlled fluid between said ports, a fixed valve memberon one of said end sections, a complementary movable valve member withinsaid bellows, positioning means located exteriorly of said bellows andhaving an extension extending to said movable member through and insealed relation to walls of said bellows from outside said bellows, saidmovable valve member being supported by said positioning means and beingmovable thereby to and from said fixed valve member to close and openthe valve, said bellows being displaced with movements of saidpositioning means but keeping said valve body completely sealed at alltimes, and a power operable mechanism connected with said positioningmeans outside said bellows for moving said positioning means to closeand open the valve.

5. A fluid control valve comprising rigid end sections spaced apart andforming valve ports, fluid tight flexible bellows sealed at oppositeends thereof to said end sections and forming a tubular valve body forconducting the controlled fluid between said ports, a fixed annularvalve seat'on one ofpsaid end sections,.a complementary said valve bodycompletely sealed at all times' said posiin sealed relation to walls ofsaid bellows, said movable valve member being supported by saidpositioning means and being movable thereby to and from said fixed valveseat to close and open the valve, said bellows being dis placed withmovements of said positioning means but keeping said valvebodycompletely sealed at all times, said positioning means including a ringsealed to and extending radially outside said bellows and having insidesaid bellows spaced radial legs connected with said movable valvemember. p 7

6. A fluid control valve comprising rigid end sections spaced apart andf'orming valve ports, fluid tight flexible bellows sealed at oppositeends thereof to said end-sections and forming a tubular valve body forconducting the controlled fluid between said ports, a fixed annularvalve seat on one of said end sections, a complementary V movable valvemember with said bellows, and positioning means extending to saidmovable member through and in sealed relation to walls of said bellows,said -movable valve member being supported by said positioning means andbeing movable thereby to and from said fixed valve seat to close andopen the valve, said bellows being displaced with movements of saidpositioning means but keeping said valve body completely sealed at' alltimes, :said positioning means comprising a ring sealed to and extendingradially outside said bellows and having inside said bellows spacedradial legs connected with said movable valve member and rigid rodsinterconnecting said end 7 sections outside said bellows and slidablyholding said ring for movement along the axis of said valve seat.

7. A fluid control valve comprising rigidend sections spacedapart andforming valve ports, fluid tight flexible bellows sealed at oppositeends thereof to saidend sections and forming a completely imperforatetubular valve body for conducting the controlledv fluid between saidports, a fixed annular valve seat on one of said end sec tions, acomplementary movable valve member within and spaced inwardly from saidbellows, positioning means ex tending to said movable member through andin sealed relation to walls of said bellows, a fluid passagewayextending through said positioning means between said movable valvemember and said bellows, said movable valve member being supported bysaid positioning means and being movable thereby to and from said valveseat to close and open the valve, said bellows being displaced withmovements of said positioning means but keeping tioning means includinga ring sealed to and extending lows at least one radial leg connectedwith saidmovable valve member, and valve operating means comprising aring gear rotatable about said sealed ring, mating screw threadsrespectively on the outer periphery of said sealed ring and the innerperiphery of said ring gear, means confining said ring' gear againstaxial movement, and means for rotating said ring gear to move saidpositioning means.

8. A fluid control. valve as described in claim 7, said means forrotating said ring gear including a'worm gear on the outer periphery ofsaid ring gear and a rotatable worm meshing with said worm gear.

9. A fluid control valve as described in claim 6, and V vaive operatingmeans including a piston fixed to at least one of said rods, a fluidpressure cylinder fixed to. said sealed ring in driving relation to saidpiston, andvmeans for supplying a pressure fluid into the said cylinderat 7 pressure fluid, a supply line and a return line connected 7 withsaid source, a fluid line extending. to each end of said cylinder, meansfor forcing fluid under pressure away from said source through saidsupply line, and valve means connected with 'said fluid lines, saidsupply line. and said return line, said valve means in one positionconnecting the fluid line to one end of said cylinder with 'saidsupplyline while connecting the other of said fluid. flll'lfiiS with saidreturn line, and, in another position, re-

versing these connections so that the supply line feeds' pressure fluidinto said other fluid line, said valve means being further operative inintermediate positions to block both of said fluid lines so as to'holdsaid cylinder, said 'positioning means and said m'ovable valve member ina selected position relative to said valve seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS V 51,580,479 Frankenfield'flns .Apr. 13, 1926 1,679,774 Larner Aug. 7, 1928 2,133,983 Gaston Oct. 25, 1938. 2,442,625 Thomas Junel, 19482,642,890 Skewis June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 V a 551,475 GreatBritain Feb. 24, 1943

